Roll assembly for continuous strip pickling tanks



Sept. 1, 1953 L, R, HOWE 2,650,603

ROLL ASSEMBLY FOR CONTINUOUS STRIP PICKLING TANKS Filed June 28,' 1947 Patented Sept. 1, 1953 ROLL ASSEMBLY FOR CONTINUOUS STRIP PICKLING TANKS Leonard R. Howes, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application J one 28, 1947, Serial No. 757,761

"1 Claims. 1

This invention relates to rolls and especially to idler rolls which are used for guiding and supporting sheet material while it is immersed in a liquid bath. Rolls of this type including hold-down rolls are useful in acid pickling tanks for guiding sheet metal strips through acid baths during the cleaning of the sheet metal in preparation for plating or other processing.

It is necessary in the pickling operations to protect the parts of the rolls and roll assemblies including bearings from the deteriorating effects of the acid solution. In constructions proposed heretofore for such operations a high degree of care in manufacturing and servicing the rolls has been necessary. The prior rolls have not been readily adaptable to variations in the speed of the sheet metal strip or strips passing over the rolls and to variations in the forces exerted upon the rolls by the strip or strips. As a result the metal surfaces at times have been scratched, marred or otherwise damaged. Variations in speed on the rolls occur when the feeding mechanism causes one strip oi sheet metal to move at a speed greater or lesser than another strip, or in the case where one edge of a wide strip tends to move at a speed different than the speed of the other edge.

It is important that the sheet metal be free from surface defects because those defects which are formed in the sheet material by the rolls may affect the plating or future processing 01' the sheet metal surfaces and usually appear in the,

finished product. In the past, diiliculties have,

been encountered in lubricating the roll bearings because of the fact that if they were submerged;

it would be extremely difiicult to maintain the bearings. rolls with large diameters in a position in which It has usually been necessary to use the bearings are not submerged. In this position 1 to provide for simultaneously receiving and guiding one or more sheet material strips of different widths over the rolls without damaging the sheet material surface; to provide a roll assembly having a plurality of independently rotatable rolls and for lubrication of the rolls by the liquid in which they are immersed, even though the liquid be strong acid; to provide for cushioning and support by adjacent rolls without interference with z independent rotation of the rolls; to provide an axial relation 01 the rolls in order that the rolls may rotate independently of each other under load; to provide a roll assembly which is acidresisting in all of its parts; to provide simplicity of construction, ease of installation and adjustment and to provide for a minimum of maintenance.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view in section of rolls constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention, the rolls being shown in position in a pickling tank.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal view of an assembly of rolls, parts being broken away and sectioned.

Fig. 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The pickling tank It shown in Fig. 1 is an example of the installations in which rolls l I, l I of the invention may be used to advantage. The tank l0 contains an acid solution or otherliquid 12 used for cleaning the surface of a sheet metal strip l3 while it is moving through the liquid. The rolls I I, ll guide and support the sheet metal strip l3 through the solution l2 and may be entirely immersed in the solution or only partly submerged as shown in Fig. 1.

The rolls II, II may be of a suitable acidresisting material such as rubber or other rubberlike material and are grouped in roll assemblies l5, l5. Each roll assembly l5 as shown in Fig. 2 has a. shaft M of acid-resisting material such as Monel metal which may be mounted nonrotatably in the pickling tank It. The rolls H, H are journaled on the shaft H and are mounted in a manner such that they may rotate independently of each other while they are prevented from undue movement along the shaft M by flanged collars I6, 16 of acid-resisting material such as Monel metal which are mounted on the shaft adjacent the end rolls. The rolls II, Il may be added to the shaft [4 or taken away to provide roll assemblies l5, l5 capable of handling sheet material of various widths. It is also possible to guide several strips of sheet material over the same roll assemblies I5, [5 at the same time without rubbing of the strips against the rolls even though the strips are moving at different speeds. Each strip may be guided by a single roll of each roll assembly or if the width of the strip is greater than the width of a roll I I it may be guided by two or more rolls. l8 may be split with thehalves held together by bolts ll, ll also of an acid-resisting material Each collar is,

of the rolls H, H as shown in the drawings and serve to lubricate the intervening roll bearing.

surfaces l9, IS with the liquid 12" in which the roller H is immersed.

Protruding separating portions ill/ 25 at the end faces of the rolls H, H are disposed" ina manner such that when one roll abuts an adjacent roll there will be formed a chann'el'i-j: bea tween the outer portion of the rolls into which the resilient rubber-like material of the rolls may spread when radially compressed by the sheet metal strips l3, l'3.. The channels 21, 2.! prevent excessive interferenceof oneroll Hi with: the: rot'a tioniof an adjacent roll I If andfalsoiserve tomaintaini spaces between: the rolls: for' conducting the liquid 12 tothe grooves i8; I 8 and shaft M for lubricating the rolls H, H.

When thesheet metal strips l3, l3'are drawn through the pickling tank I!) as shown in Fig.1 theywill: moveiover. the rolls H H and tend to rotate the rollsl-becauseof the friction between the outer supporting surfacesof the rolls and the surfaces. of the: sheet metal strips The rolls H-,. H rotate about the shaft M and'onthe roll bearing surfaces l8, 9 of the roll bearing por-- Lubrication is facilitated by the grooves u tions. i8, 18' which conduct the liquid II in which the roll assembly [5 is' immersed to the relatively turningsu'rfaces of the rolls-and shaft 14'. Each roll PI. is lubricated individually" by its-respective set of grooves I8; is and as long as-the shaft [4" upon which: itis journaled i's immersedor partially submerged inthe liquid i=2; the liquid will bespread'over the bearing surfaces by the action of the grooves-upon rotationof the rolls.

'Itnis-not always possible to feed the sheet meta-l strip 13 intothe pickling tank at aconstant rate and consequently at times the strip will exert more force in compression on the rolls H, II than at other times. As the rolls i l5 are of resilient rubber-like material which yields upon increases'in the pressure upon the rolls, j and expands upon decreases in pressure,' contact with the sheet metal stripis maintained duringthe ordinary changes in pressurewhich occur and thus reduce or prevent rubbing of'the' strip surefacesagainst the roll surfaces which might-cause scratches or other defectsin the surfaces of the As each roll ll is rotatable independently of the others it can adapt its'speed t0 the speed of the-metal strip l3 or strips passing over it. With the plurality of independently rotatable rolls H, H along the shaft M variations in speed of the different strips of the sheet metal over the rolls H, H does not result in objectionable rubbing motion of the metal" surfaces on the roll surfaces and' marring of the metal" surfaces is reduced or eliminated.

The rolls H, H are useful especially for pickling tank-operation and other applications where a roll must be used in a submerged or partly sub-- mergedtposition-because the lubricant is supplied by the liquid [-2 in which the: rolls are immersed. A greater depth of immersion of the strips may be obtained and; the rolls; H, H maybe of smaller diameter and occupy less space than rolls which require the bearings to be above the liquid [2 and must necessarily be near the liquid surface. Also, every part of the roll assembly I5 is of an acid-resisting material and there is no danger of deterioration by the action of the acid solution in which the roll assembly is submerged. A large number" of the sheet material strips may be accommodated by the rolls H, H even though the speeds of the strips are different. The simplicity of. the construction and effectiveness in operation of the roll assembly l5 embodying the invention reduces the cost of manufacture and maintenance toprovide economicaland efiicient idler rolls for use in immersed and partly submerged positions.

Variations may be made without departing from thescope of the invention as it is defined in the following claims, I claim: a

l. An acid-resisting idler roll assembly for guiding and supporting strips of sheet 'inateri-al through an: 'acid pickIing solution, said roll assembly comprising a shaft: of: acid resisting' material'; a plurality of rolls-consisting of yieldable resilient acid-resisting rubber-likematerial, each journal'ed': for independent rotation on said' shaft at positions longitudinally along said shaft pro viding a supporting surface, collars ofacid resist ing material adjustably' secured on said shaft' and disposed at positionsad'jacentthe ends of the ing achannelbet'ween the outeredge of'each roll and the outer edge of the adj acent roll to permit movement ofthe material of said rolls into said channel upon: radial compression, and the bearing portion of each of said rolls being capable of lubrication by said solution and formed" witha series of alternating longitudinal roll bearing-'sur-- faces and solutionconducting lubricating groovesin said'rubber-lilie material."

2; A liquid covered roll assembly for guiding'in ushiomng rel'ation traveling sheet material in a quid bath, said roll assembly comprising a shaft having a substantially-smooth cylindrical bearing surface, a roll disposed aroundsaid shaft and" having' an inner bearing surface journaled for rotation relative to said shaft andhavinga subnu stantially cylindrical outer sheet supporting surface, said roll from said: inner bearing surface to said outer sheet supporting surface and in-' eluding said surfaces consisting of yieldable resilient rubber-like material eifective throughout 7, the radial thickness of the roll wall to cushion; the forces exerted by the sheet'mat'erial againstthe outer surface of the roll; and the inner'bearing surface of" said roll having bearing portions of' said" yieldable resilient rubber-like material separated by grooves thereinfor conducting" liquid of the bath to said bearing portions for lubrication thereof to facilitate rotation of the roll about said shaft under the turning forces exerted on the roll-by the traveling sheet material.

3; An acid-covered roll assemb'ly for guiding'incushioning relation traveling sheet material in an acid bath, said roll assembly comprising a shaft having a substantially smooth cylindrical" bearing' surface of acid-resisting material, a roll disposed around said shaftandhavingan inner bearing surface journal'ed for rotation relativeto said shaftandhaving a substantially cylindrical outer sheet-supporting surface, said roll from, said inner bearing surface to saidouter sheetsupporting surface thereof and including said" surfaces consisting of yieldable resilient acidresisting rubber-like material effective throughout the radial thickness of the roll Wall to cushion the forces exerted by the sheet material against the outer surface of the roll, and the inner bearing surface of said roll having bearing portions of said yieldable resilient acid-resisting rubber-like material separated by grooves therein for conducting acid of the bath to said bearing portions for lubrication thereof to facilitate rotation of the roll about said shaft under the turning forces exerted on the roll by the traveling sheet material.

4. A liquid-covered roll assembly for guiding in cushioning relation traveling sheet material in a liquid bath, said roll assembly comprisin a shaft having a substantially smooth cylindrical bearing surface, a plurality of rolls disposed around said shaft and having inner bearing surfaces journaled for independent rotation relative to said shaft and together providing substantially cylindrical outer sheet-supporting surfaces, each roll from inner bearing surface to outer sheetsupporting surface thereof and including the said surfaces consisting of yieldable resilient rubberlike material effective throughout the radial thickness of the roll wall to cushion the forces exerted by the sheet material against the outer surface of the roll, and the inner bearing surface of each roll having bearing portions of said yieldable resilient rubber-like material separated by grooves therein for conducting liquid of the bath to said bearing portions for lubrication thereof to facilitate rotation of the roll about said shaft under the turning forces exerted on the roll by the traveling sheet material.

5. An acid-covered roll assembly for guiding in cushioning relation travelin sheet material in an acid bath, said roll assembly comprising a shaft having a substantially smooth cylindrical bearing surface of acid-resisting material, a plurality of rolls disposed around said shaft and having inner bearing surfaces journaled for independent rotation relative to said shaft and together providing substantially cylindrical outer sheet-supporting surfaces, each roll from inner bearing surface to outer sheetsupporting surface thereof and including the said surfaces consisting of yieldable resilient acid-resisting rubber-like material effective throughout the radial thickness of the roll Wall to cushion the forces exerted by the sheet material against the outer surface of the roll, and the inner bearing surface of each roll having bearing portions of said yieldable resilient acidresisting rubber-like material separated by grooves therein for conducting acid of the bath to said bearing portions for lubrication thereof to facilitate rotation of the roll about said shaft under the turning forces exerted by the traveling sheet material.

6. A roll assembly for guiding in cushioning relation traveling sheet material in a liquid bath, said roll assembly comprising a shaft having a rounded surface, a plurality of rolls having inner bearing surfaces journaled for independent rotation on said shaft and together providing substantially cylindrical outer sheetsupporting surfaces, each rollfrom inner bearing surface to outer sheet-supporting surface thereof and including said surfaces consisting of yieldable resilient rubber-like material effective throughout the radial thickness of the roll Wall to cushion the forces exerted by the sheet material against the outer surface of the roll, least one of said rolls having a protruding separating portion at an end face providing a space between adjacent rolls into which material of said rolls may move upon radial compression and the inner bearing surface of each roll having bearing portions of said yieldable resilient rubber-like material separated by grooves therein for conducting liquid of the bath to said bearing portions for lubrication thereof to facilitate rotation of the roll about said shaft under the turning forces exerted on the roll by the traveling sheet material.

'7. A liquid-covered. roll assembly comprising a shaft non-rotatably mounted and having a substantially smooth cylindrical bearing surface, a roll disposed around said shaft and being journal/ed for rotation relative to said shaft, said roll having a supporting surface at the periphery and consisting of yieldable resilient rubber-liize material throughout the radial thickness of ie roll Wall to cushion forces exerted against said supporting surface and said roll having a bearing portion at the radially inner face formed in alternating bearing surfaces and liquid-conducting grooves for lubrication by said liquid.

LEONARD R. HOWES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 696,416 Denegre Apr. 1, 1902 996,970 Burnham July 4, 1911 1,345,096 Mount June 29, 1920 1,514,109 Stenstrom Nov. 4, 1924 1,919,375 Maclachlan et a1. July 25, 1933 2,154,585 Sainandji Apr. 18, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 348,325 Great Britain May 14, 1931 

